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SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, April 26, 2016) – Their stories and their efforts remind us all that every day is Earth Day in Micronesia and conservation is a major part of life.

The Northern Mariana Islands Bureau of Environment and Coastal Quality, President Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands, Palau President Tommy Remengesau, Dr. Yimnang Golbuu of the Palau Coral Reef Center, FSM President Peter Christian and all Micronesia and Polynesia conservation organizations share their positive conservation efforts through social and news media.

The Federated States of Micronesia’s environmental leaders got together for a workshop on April 6-7 in Palikir, Pohnpei to promote the regional enforcement for a shark sanctuary while in the CNMI, BECQ conducted several activities to celebrate April as Environment Awareness Month.

Clarinda Ziegler of the Palau Protected Areas Network said Palau citizens began Earth Day with a...

This week saw the tremendous announcement that Hilda Heine is the new President of the Marshall Islands. This is monumental in its significance. She is the first female President of an Independent Pacific country.

The Pacific region has the lowest levels of women’s participation in political processes in the world, standing at 13.4% representation of women in parliaments, against a global average of 22.7%. Beyond these averages is the staggering reality that some of the Pacific Island countries to this day have no women at all in their parliaments. Hilda Heine is exceptionally well placed to lead her nation. She is the former Minister for Education. She was the...

Bonuses for unclassified political hires are illegal, according to Guam law, as are retroactive pay raises, unless specifically authorized by law. Gov. Eddie Calvo is within his authority to give raises to his staff, but he can’t give bonuses or retroactive raises. Thus, his administration’s decision to pay more than $800,000 in retroactive bonuses must be addressed. All staffers who received the lump-sum payments must pay back the money, which came from taxpayers.

The retroactive pay raises for 107 executive branch employees were given in December 2014. The attorney general said the raises were illegal and could "only be resolved through repayment of the retroactive pay adjustments by each individual employee, or through legislative action...

The recent, historic signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was an event of immense importance, in particular for those countries most gravely threatened by the devastating effects of climate change. 175 countries signed the Treaty and Fiji was the first country to ratify it during an elaborate ceremony at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 22nd April, 2016. Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Micronesia and Vanuatu were among the signatories.

NUKU‘ALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, Dec. 31, 2015) –A year after Tonga’s second democratically elected government came into power at the end of December 2014, Tongan politics is stuck in the doldrums.

The repetition by the Prime Minister Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva that his government has the will to "take action" guided by the high moral principles of "good leadership, rule of law - justice for all and the fair distribution of national wealth," so far, are just hot air. The difference between what has been said and what has happened, speaks for itself.

Looking back at some of the events over the past 12 months, one thing has become clear - that the Prime Minister and his government are not singing in tune. Therefore, an enormous amount of money and time has been spent in trying to correct errors and misunderstandings, when the Prime Minister said one thing while his government said or did something else.

HAGÃ TÃA, Guam (Jan. 19, 2016) – Because of the continued failure of elected officials to adequately fund Guam Memorial Hospital, it could lose water service this week. It also faces being disconnected by the Guam Power Authority.

The government-run hospital hasn’t paid its water bill since September, and that was for January 2015. September was also the last time it paid its power bill. It owes the Guam Waterworks Authority about $500,000, and its past-due power bill is more than $500,000.

The overdue bills are part of more than $20 million that the hospital owes to vendors.

"At this point we’re doing everything that we can do to make these payments," said Gov. Eddie Calvo, who took over management of Guam Memorial Hospital after three board members recently resigned.

The government of Guam must be completely open and transparent in all aspects of its contractual obligations. Taxpayers cannot afford to be kept in the dark when decisions are being made that have the potential to cripple government operations, potentially raise tariffs or taxes, etc. An arbitration clause in the Guam YTK Corp. lease with the Port Authority of Guam allowed for an arbitration panel earlier this year to deliberate in secret. The end result was a $14 million award to Guam YTK that continues to climb because of interest payments.

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, June 9, 2016) – During the closing ceremony for the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts, or FestPac, a few Chamoru activists came together to make a political statement. We sacrificed four of our official FestPac wraps and made banners with the following words on them: “Decolonize Oceania” and “Free Guåhan.” And when it was time for the Guåhan delegation to parade onto the main platform, we walked around the Paseo Stadium with these banners.

Why did we take such an action?

It must be understood that this action was necessary for a number of reasons.

First, it was necessary to demonstrate that FestPac is not just an event which highlights the beautiful cultural facets of our Pacific communities — songs, dances, chants, poetry, artwork, food, navigation. It is also an event which should remind us of the historical and political struggles of our peoples,...

The Vatican needs to resolve the allegations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron as quickly as it is able, and must ensure it’s completely open with this community about information relating to its investigation and findings. In recent weeks, Apuron has been accused, by three individuals, of sexually assaulting young boys when he was a priest at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel church in Agat in the 1970s. Apuron has said he is innocent and is the victim of a smear campaign. He hasn’t been charged with any crime.

Today thousands of West Papuan people rallied in the streets to call for freedom and for our fundamental right to self-determination to be exercised. They showed their full support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)’s full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.